"Every one of our board members is pleased to welcome John to Niskayuna as our interim leader," said Board of Education President Deborah Oriola in a statement. "His considerable experience, his ability to quickly become part of a school community and lead it forward and his deep knowledge of the issues that are shaping education today all make him an ideal fit for our district at this time."

More recently, Yagielski served as interim school chief in neighboring Schenectady. He has also led the Greece and Shenendehowa school districts.

Yagielski began his career in the business office of the Rochester-area Greece school district in 1969, and became chief financial officer for the Baltimore City Public Schools in the early 1980s.

In the statement, Yagielski, who will be paid $175,000 a year without health benefits and pension payments, said he is excited to be coming to Niskayuna.

"It is known across the state for excellence and for the work that faculty and staff members do every day to make a real difference in the lives of students," he said. "In my time here, I plan to keep our primary focus on students, on teaching and on learning.

He and the board said they will focus on rebuilding community confidence in district leaders, addressing finances and setting the stage for attracting highly qualified candidates for the superintendent's job. The board was expected to formally name Yagielski at Tuesday night's meeting.

Salvaggio and the board parted ways, citing philosophical differences. Salvaggio, hired in July 2011, is scheduled to receive a lump-sum payment of $139,000 and 14 months of family health coverage.